Finally!

PART 1:

Last Friday, Corky and I decided that it would be the last day for Gracey to wear diapers. We had the weekend to try and work her into using the toilet so we figured it wouldn't be too bad. She wanted NOTHING to do with the toilet, needless to say we were cleaning up and doing lots of laundry. It wasn't as bad as I expected though which showed me that she would be able to use the toilet when she chose to. She would hold it very well for the most part. We figured after so many accidents, she would get tired of it. We tried bribing with all sorts of stuff but she didn't care. I kept remembering so many people say "when they are ready, you'll know" Well, when my child is verbally communicating to me by saying "Mom, I am going to go to the other room to poop in my diaper" then I figure she is able to sit on the toilet to do it. Another piece of advice that was given to us was that once you choose to take her out of diapers, don't go back. So we stuck to our guns and sure enough, Monday morning she started going pee in the toilet! Hallelujah!! I finally saw light at the end of the tunnel. We haven't had a peeing accident since then (except for at night) and she is finally pooping on the toilet too. Woo Hoo!! What did the trick was getting a bunch of dollar bin toys and wrapping them individually. When she went to the bathroom she got to pick one to open. She loved it and even though there are still 2 or 3 presents to unwrap, she isn't even asking anymore. It really has been great! I joked to Corky though the first days of success that what we will save in diapers....we will pay in dental bills for all the candy and treats we are bribing her with!

Of course we expect accidents to continue as we all get the hang of it, but we are so happy that she is done with diapers. I really wanted her to be done by 3 years old and lucky for all of us, she is 2 and 3/4!

PART 2:

Before church on Sunday, I put Emily's hair in a ponytail...if you can even call it that! I took it out immediately! I took her into Corky and said "I bet you didn't think you had a unicorn for a daughter!" She didn't seem to mind it but I was afraid that it was pulled too tight and would hurt her. I guess we will just stick to headbands for now.

PART 3:

Corky and I have both had our little stints of sinus problems the past few months. I had a sinus infection in July and it totally stunk. I have never had sinus problems before but I think the desert is finally taking its toll on the both of us. Anyway, I am pretty sure that I have another sinus infection, or something close to it. Corky too. Well I really hated the anti-biotic that they put me on. It made my throat really sore and dry and it made nursing really difficult too. SOOO, I splurged and ordered a Neti pot. I saw it featured on "Oprah" a while back and then a follow up on it, people swore that it changed their lives. These people who had sinus issues their entire lives we claiming that this little thing helped them tremendously! Corky and I used it for the first time tonight. We already feel a little better but it will probably take a few days for us to really feel the difference that we are hoping for. I kind of got the giggles because I was a little nervous. I really hate the "water up the nose" feeling but as long as I was concentrating on breathing out of my mouth it wasn't bad.

Very interesting....actually! Enjoy the sexy picture of me using the Neti pot for the first time.

Sometimes...just for fun I like to dress my baby girl up and pretend that she is a boy!

JUST KIDDING!!!

I bought this shirt for Gracey when she is young and she definitely was able to pull it off because she had so much hair. By the time she was 6 months old, I could pull all of her hair into pigtails. Emily, not so much! She of course will be wearing a headband this evening because a baseball tank top doesn't really scream girl!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Joyce!!

Today is my mom's birthday! I hope she had a great one! She is one absolutely awesome lady! My siblings and I are have been so blessed to have her as our mom. She has always be easy to talk to, so understanding, and the best example to us. She is a great wife, a great mother, and a truly remarkable friend!

My girls love her so much. You should see Gracey light up when we talk to Grandma on the phone! It is fun to watch how much she loves her grandkids also!

Thanks Grandma, you're the BEST! We love you!

Gracey, the pre-schooler!

Today was a milestone for our little Gracey! She is now a pre-schooler! I know that its only pre-school, but it is so fun to watch her grow and do new things. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to have her be in the California Head-Start program. Usually there is a waiting list for higher enlisted and officers children, but luckily this year they added a few teachers so I believe that anyone who signed their child up was approved! She will go 5 days a week from 7:45-10:45am. As we were looking into the school I thought to myself "she is going to be in school for so long...why I am starting her so young?" Then I snapped out of it and realized that we really needed to take advantage of this opportunity while it lasts. It is government (california government I think??) funded organization so it is free! Her teachers seem great and we think she is really going to enjoy this. We don't expect her to be reading by the end of the school year or anything, but at the very least she will be playing with kids her own age for at least 15 hours a week! I won't pretend either that I won't absolutely enjoy having only Emily for 3 hours a day! I am excited to see what I can accomplish when I only have one little tyke to take care of for a few hours.

Here are some pictures of Gracey. She seems to be growing right before our eyes!

100+....not happening tonight!

So I have been totally out of the blogging loop these past few weeks and I am going to pay for it....when I get a minute or two of course!! I signed into my google reader (which I love so much) and it says I have over 100 new blogs to catch up with!! Huh?? Not even going to try tonight. I will post some collages of me and my family from the past few weeks. It has been eventful. We went to Universal Studios, St. George, Beaver Mountain, and Arizona. We had such a nice vacation. About half of the time was spent camping and so it was GREAT to get out of the heat. I didn't even want to come home to the 100+ tempatures. (look at that...another "100+" to tie into my title!)

Anyway, though this blog looks big because of pictures it is actually really short. Let the pictures tell the stories. I will insert some thoughts here and there I suppose.

This was our fun trip to Universal Studios. Corky and my sister's friend, Skyler, were chosen to participate in the Fear Factor show. Lots of fun!!!

Then when we were in St. George, Corky and I decided to take the girls to the Bluff Street park. Started fun, ended not so fun. Gracey got 2 staples in her head from the dome....from doing flips like you see in the picture. Watch out for nuts and bolts! The blood freaked her out the most. We used a diaper to soak most of it up at the beginning. The picture in the car was on our way to the ER. She was a trooper. By the time we got the hospital, she was laughing and telling the nurses "I was at the pawk and bonked my head on a scwew!"

The next big thing she did was got a hair cut! 7 inches!! I still need to take a picture of her holding the braid we saved from the hair salon!
One of my favorite parts of our trip was being able to see so much of one of my best friends in the world! Sara C. was married last week and Corky and I had a great time visiting her and her husband Chris. Wasn't Sara the cutest bride ever??? I LOVED the HOT PINK sash and shoes!

Straight from the wedding and luncheon, we drove to Arizona to go camping with some of Corky's family. We had a blast. I love to camp and believe it or not, I loved the rain we experienced the entire time. I guess not the entire time because it obviously isn't raining in any of the pictures....but you know what I mean. (whoops! another collage landed itself in there but I am too lazy right now to correct that)

So I guess that is our vacation. Maybe now that I am home I will be a more consistent blogger. Haven't I been saying that for a few months now? Someday, maybe! :)

chopped it off!

Today, Gracey and I went to the hair salon down the road and....brace yourselves...got her hair cut!!! I am talking CHOPPED OFF! A good 7 inches!! That is a ton of hair, especially for a 2 1/2 year old. She looks like she is 5 now and she completely loves it. When we say something about her new hair-do, she puts her head back and just shakes her hair. Her long hair was so gorgeous, for about an hour after I blow dried it and curled it, but she is such a tomboy that it is in snarls pretty quickly. This will make life much easier for all of us I think. I took a picture with my camera phone so the quality totally sucks but you get the idea. I will post before and after pictures possibly tomorrow. (maybe tonight if I decide to do that instead of read HP #7)

p.s. Gracey also will get staples taken out of her head tomorrow. She had a run in with a screw at the playground last week. All is well, she just has a little temporary hardware in her scalp!! :)